A mother has avoided a jail term after she admitted harassing a former family friend over the course of two months following some "mild school banter" between the women's young daughters.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard how, in September 2015, Aisling McCann (34) began making anonymous silent phone calls to the victim from a blocked number.

Over the next two months she harassed the victim by sending anonymous emails insulting her daughter and telling her to keep away from her children.

She also ordered food online and had it delivered to the woman's home and ordered taxis to pick her up at her home.

McCann, of Oaklands Park, Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to nine charges of harassment on various dates between September 11 and November 22, 2015.

The court heard the two women's daughters had been friends and that McCann's daughter told her mother about some "very innocent innocuous comment".

Defence counsel, Patrick Jackson, said McCann was drinking at the time and was under stress because her family home was in negative equity.

Garda Sergeant Gerry Holland said McCann made the calls and sent the emails from her own smartphone and it was easy for gardaí to trace them to her. He said the harassment grew out of some very mild school banter that was taken out of proportion by McCann.

Judge Melanie Greally said she was suspending a 12-month prison sentence after taking into consideration the woman's lack of any other convictions and her early guilty plea.